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Nova’s AI-powered scoring system evaluates candidates against your specific criteria, providing transparent rankings with resume citations and detailed reasoning.

The Scoring Pipeline

1
Data IngestionNova collects all candidate information the moment an application lands:
  • Resume/CV
  • ATS form answers and responses
  • Job description and requirements
  • Your configured criteria
2
Criterion EvaluationEach criterion is evaluated with transparent methodology:
  • Resume citations show evidence for scores
  • Holistic assessment considers full candidate profile
  • No hidden weightings or undisclosed factors
3
Ranking & DisplayResults are immediately available in your workflow:
  • Scores and tags written back to your ATS
  • Auto-sort by “Nova Score” for best-fit-first review
  • Detailed assessments for hiring team review

Essential Guides

Score Interpretation

Score RangeMeaning
9-10Exceptional fit, exceeds expectations
7-8Strong match, meets most requirements
5-6Partial fit, some qualifications present
3-4Poor match, significant gaps
1-2Very poor fit, minimal qualifications
Review the first 20-30 scores to calibrate expectations. Adjust criteria specificity based on results to improve accuracy.

Common Questions

Nova’s accuracy depends on the quality and specificity of your criteria. Well-defined criteria lead to highly accurate assessments. Most teams achieve optimal accuracy within 2-3 criteria refinement cycles.
Nova provides objective assessments to inform your decisions, not replace them. Scores help prioritize candidates and identify potential matches, but final hiring decisions always remain with your team.
Nova uses criteria-driven assessment rather than pattern matching, undergoes quarterly bias audits, provides transparent reasoning, and maintains human override capabilities throughout the process.
Nova only uses data you provide: resumes, job descriptions, your configured criteria, cover letters, and application responses. No external data sources or hidden factors influence scores.
Yes. You can update criteria at any time. Existing scores remain unchanged. Re-scoring with updated criteria is available on Enterprise plans.
Yes. In Company Settings, you can enable “Exclude application question answers from scoring” to score candidates based on resume data only. This is useful if you’re concerned about AI-written application responses inflating scores. When enabled, Nova still collects application answers but doesn’t factor them into the score calculation.

Next Steps

1
Configure CriteriaSet up specific requirements for your role and learn how to write effective criteria.
2
Enable NovaActivate scoring on your jobs and start processing candidates.
3
Monitor ResultsReview scores, interpret results, and refine criteria based on initial outcomes.